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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · wound · bark · wake · bore · tube · file · season

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — a trail
  11. season — of the year
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com